1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a stackable display case for sale of retail products. More specifically, the invention relates to stackable one-piece open top display cases which may be filled, stacked on pallets, and wrapped before shipping them to warehouse retail outlets. Such display cases provide visibility and accessibility from four sides of pallets.
2. Description of Related Art
Millions of dollars are spent each year in packaging products for transportation from manufacturers to retail outlets. Rather than require these products to be removed from containers and individually placed on shelves in a store front, it has long been desirable to ship and sell products directly from pallets. Member-only warehouse clubs provide the buying public, including private individuals and businesses, price savings by selling goods directly from pallets. Club stores often display their goods as delivered from suppliers on shipping pallets and thus reduce their costs by eliminating the labor of unpacking goods from pallets and displaying them for purchasers. Club stores often prefer to deal with suppliers who ship their goods on pallets.
Costs are also reduced by modifying the types and amounts of packaging associated with retail products. However, some products do not easily survive undamaged while being shipped on pallets to retail establishments, especially products which cannot bear compressive loads such as plants, gift baskets, lamps, buckets of cut flowers, stuffed animals, and bags of snack products. These products routinely require special packaging and significant manual labor for retail sale even if sold from pallets. Many packing schemes and packages have been invented to solve the problems associated with getting such products undamaged to consumers while still allowing consumers to easily view and select products.
One solution to this frequent problem has been to ship products in stackable trays or cartons, each comprising several components. FIG. 1 shows an overhead view of a composite of various features and components of trays according to the prior art. With reference to FIG. 1, a prior art tray or carton 102 may have a vertical stacking tab or cleat 104 rising above the top plane of each tray or carton 102. Such tab 104 locks into a corresponding opening (not shown) in the tray 102 stacked above it. Alternatively, a prior art tray 102 may have a foldable glued flap 106 which overlays each corner and is secured to the tray's side by glue, adhesive or other means. Such flaps 106 provide increased strength and support for a compressive load of stacked trays and further protect the goods inside each tray 102. Such foldable flaps 106 may be overly complex to assemble, may not be suitable for trays containing certain products, or may require excessive manual labor.
Another existing alternative is to fold a flap 108 at a corner and lock it onto a tab 110 of a separate strengthening insert 114. A receiving opening 112 in the bottom surface near each corner accepts an insert's tab 110 which protrudes from the top plane of each tray 102. When each insert's tab 110 is interlocked into a receiving opening 112, each tray 102 is less likely to move horizontally relative to another tray 102 and damage the contents of the tray below it. Additional inserts 114 require additional manual labor at assembly.
Yet another existing strengthening means is to insert a top-mounted removable foldable corner insert 118 into each corner of a tray 102. Such removable corner insert 118 may fold over the outside of a tray 102, or may reside completely within a tray 102. One style of free corner insert 120 has a single fold and sits squarely inside each corner. Such a free corner insert 120 may provide some additional strength against compressive loads to a tray, but does not contribute to a container which is substantially open for displaying the contained goods.
In general, assembly, shipping, displaying, and sale of certain products from stackable trays or cartons is complex, and may require substantial manual labor at the point of sale for proper display of such goods, especially where such goods are sold from pallets. With reference to FIG. 1, many trays and cartons have foldable sides 116 which form openings for easily viewing of enclosed goods. Some foldable sides 116 are secured in place by inserting tabs 122 in corresponding openings along side creases 124. Many trays also have openings which serve as carrying handles 126 for convenience. Such openings 126 do not provide sufficient visibility of enclosed goods.
Several patents disclose other improvements to cartons, crates and trays for bundling, shipping, and selling products which cannot support a compressive load. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,152,079 issued to Mott on Mar. 28, 1939 discloses a combination shipping and display carton. After shipping, a perforated section of the package may be removed for display and sale of individual packaged units within the carton. Even though this invention provides a means to stack bundles of individual units, this invention requires manual labor to modify each container to allow for sale of individual units contained within the packages.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,875 issued to Praetorius on Apr. 25, 1967 discloses a similar concept in that a side panel may be removed exposing individual units for sale. Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 4,000,811 issued to Hardison et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,728 to Sheffer disclose a convertible carton which provides protection for its contents during shipping, and which subsequently may be transformed into an aesthetically pleasing display carton. These inventions may solve alignment and shipping problems, but require substantial manual labor prior to final display and sale of goods even though such packages may be stacked and shipped on pallets. These cartons are not folded from a single blank.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,615 issued to Ott et al. on Oct. 1, 1991 discloses a stackable carton or tray for a single layer of tomatoes. This invention requires separate reinforcing members inserted into tray corners so as to bear the load of other trays; these trays are not formed from a single folded paperboard blank.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,712,214 issued to Wintermute et al. on Mar. 30, 2004 discloses a stackable display tray which is similarly formed from a blank and multiple additional inserts. Portions of the blank are folded up to create sides and reinforced corners for a multi-sided tray or shell. Angular panels are positioned inside the tray to provide increased stability and support.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,270,007 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,200 issued to Jensen, Jr., and International Patent Application PCT/US01/26610 disclose an improved crate for stacking and shipping plants. It discloses a crate system consisting of a bottom cap, crate walls, and a top cap. The bottom and top caps are the same size and shape, and are interchangeable. Goods inside the crate are protected from compressive loads, and the crates can be stacked several crates deep. In this invention, the corners and bottom sections are not formed from the same blank. It would be more ideal to have a shipping container comprised of just a bottom and support walls thus eliminating the need for a top piece for every container, tray or carton.
Published International Patent Application PCT/US02/19025 entitled “Stackable Display Container” by Holdsworth, et al., discloses a stackable display container which may be formed from a single blank, shipped flat and assembled without adhesive. Such container has stacking shoulders and reinforced corners. This invention is only open on two sides wherein the other two sides are designed for handles.
None of these inventions adequately solves the problems associated with transporting and selling goods which are sensitive to compressive loads, these goods being sold directly from pallets. Consequently, a need exists for a carton, tray, or display which is easily stackable, and which remains stacked on a pallet in columns during shipping. A need exists for a shipping display which can be easily assembled at a production facility, and which can be used for the sale of goods as initially shipped and displayed on a pallet. A further need exists for a display which can be easily assembled from a single display blank and which has few or no additional parts required for shipping. A further need exists for a tray which may be stacked in columns and shipped on pallets, which allows the contents of the carton or tray to be seen, and which requires little or no additional manual labor for the goods to be sold from pallets. The present invention fills these and other needs as detailed more fully below.